Motion-converting device.



J A. SHIRA.

MOTION CONVERTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- ls. m4.

1,198,283. PatentedSept. 12,1916.

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I. A. SHiRA. MOTION CONVERTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 16. $914.

Patnte Sept. 12, 1916.

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JOHN A. SI-IIRA, OF LA GRANDE, OREGON, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FIFTEENTH TOWILLIAM C. ALEXANDER, OF ELGIN, OREGON, ONE-THIRD TO'ARTHUR L. BERRY, OFCALD- WELL, IDAHO, AND ONE-SIXTIE'IH TO lvIAT/IIE ALEXANDER AND ONE-IXTIETI-I TO MARY C. ALEXANDER, BOTH OF ELGIN, OREGON.

MOTION-CONVERTING DEVICE.

Application filed September 16, 1914.

To all whom it nmy concern Be it known that I, JOHN A. SHIRA, acitizenof the United States, residing at La Grande, in the county of Union andState of Oregon, have invented new and useful Improvements in l\IotionConverting Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in motion converting devices andhas particular application to a device for converting rotary motion intoreciprocatory movement.

In carrying out the present invention, it is my purpose to provide adevice of the class described which will be found especially useful onmowing machines, harvesters, binders, threshers and the like and wherebythe speed. of the sliding or reciprocating part will be relatively highas compared with that of the driving or rotating element.

It is also my purpose to provide a device of the class described wherebythe reversely sliding cutting knives of mowing machines and otherreversely reciprocating elements may be actuated rapidly and at properlytimed intervals so that as one knife reaches the limit of its path ofmovement in one direction the other knife will be at its limit ofmovement in the opposite direction and both knives reversesimultaneously and move in relatively opposite directions therebyfacilitating the cutting operation.

A further object of my invention is to improve and simplify the generalconstruction of motion converting devices of the type set forth and toprovide a device which will embody comparatively few parts and these socorrelated and arranged as to reduce the possibility of derangement to aminimum and enable the device to be lubricated whenever necessary so asto reduce the friction between the parts.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forthin and falling within the scope of the claim.

In the accompanying drawings; Figure l is a view in side elevation of amotion converting device constructed in accordance with the presentinvention. Fig. 9. is a vertical longitudinal sectional view there-Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. f2, 1916.

Serial No. 862,039.

through. Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view through the same. Fig. 4. is aview in side elevation of one of the star wheels and the cooperatingannulus removed from the device.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, 1 designates a drive shaftcapable of rotation and jourualed in suitable alining bearings. Fixed tothe shaft 1 concentrically thereof are star wheels 2, 2 disposed side byside and appropriately spaced apart and surrounding the star wheels 2, 2concentrically thereof are annuli 3, 3 having the con fronting edgesthereof spaced apart a distance equal to the space between the starwheels. In the present instance, each annulus 3 is fixed to the outerends of spokes 4: radiating from the shaft and. secured thereto at theouter side of the adjacent star wheel. In this form of my invention, thestar wheel 2 is provided with five arms and in this connection I wish itto be understood that the star wheels may be formed of any desirednumber of arms, for instance, three or nine arms. The inner edges of theannuli 3, 3 are cut as at 5 to conform to the peripheries of the starwheels and spaced apart from such peripheries to provide sinuous ways 6,6.

Arranged parallel with the shaft 1 are shafts 7, S spanning the spacebetween the star wheels and having the opposite ends thereof disposedwithin the ways 6, 6, while rotatably mounted upon the extremities ofeach shaft 7, S are rollers 9 disposed within the ways 6. 6 respectivelyand in engagement with the walls of such ways formed by the peripheriesof the star wheels and the inner edges of the annuli. These shafts 7, 8are spaced apart a distance equal to the lengths of the arms of the starwheels so that when the shaft 7 is at the inner ends of the arms theshaft 8 will be at the outer extremities thereof and vice versa wherebyin the continued rotation of the star wheels under the action of thedrive shaft the shafts 7 and 8 will be bodily shifted laterally. Theshaft 7 is secured to one end of an arm 10 disposed between the starwheels and having the opposite end thereof pivotally mounted upon a stubshaft 11 disposed adjacent to the peripheries of the annuli 3, 3parallel with the shaft 7, while the shaft 8 is secured to one end of anarm 12 disposed between the adj acent faces of the star wheels andhaving the remaining end thereof pivotednpon a stub shaft 13 parallelwith the shaft 8 and disposed adjacent to the stub shaft 11. The centralportion of the shaft 7 is fastened to one end of a pitman 14, while thesimilar portion of the shaft 8 is secured to a pitman 1-3 and the pitmen1% and 15 are mounted for sliding movement within bearings 16 and areadapted to have their outer ends connected with the mechanism to bereciprocatcd.

In practice, assuming the outer ends of the pitmen rods 14, 15 to beconnected with the adjacent extremities of the cutting knives of amowing machine and the drive shaft to be connected up with a suitablesource of power or prime mover, the star wheels 2, 2 and the annuli 3will rotate in unison thereby shifting the shafts 7 and S laterally andin'iparting a reciprocatory movement to the pitincn 14 and 15, incidentto the rollers following the walls of the ways (3, G. lVhen one of thecutter blades is at the end of its path of movement in one direction,the remaining blade is at the extremity of its movement in the oppositedirection and as the star wheels and annuli continue to rotate thecutting knives slide in relatively reverse directions and are thusreciprocated to facilitate the cutting action, the forward edges of thearms of the star wheels driving the pit-men in one directionsuccessively, while the inner edges of the annuli actuate the pitmen inthe opposite direction, incident to the inner edges of the annuliengaging the rollers succeeding the outward movement of the shaftscarrying such rollers under the action of the particular edges of thearms of the star wheels.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the acompanyingdrawings, the construction, mode of operation and manner of employing myimproved motion converting device will be readily apparent.

It will be seen that I have provided a motion converting device wherebythe speed of the driven elements is greater than that of the drivingparts and whereby cooperating cutting knives and analogous devices maybe reciprocated so that the strokes will overlap in the usual manner.

I claim:

In a device of the class described, in combination a support, saidsupport being substantially rectangular, a shaft mounted upon saidsupport, a pair of star wheels fixed upon said shaft, each of said starwheels consisting of a plurality of oppositely curved lobes providingintervening grooved edges, a pair of annuli, arms connecting the sidesof said star wheels to said annuli whereby to hold thein in concentricrelation, said annuli being cut to conform to the outline of said starwheels whereby to provide grooves with the star wheels, a verticalbracket fixed upon said support and having two guide openings, a pair ofpitmen adapted to slide in said guide openings, a roller journaled atone end of each of said pitmen and working in said last named grooves, apair of pivot pins carried by said support, a straight arm fulcrunied atone end upon one of said pivot pins and upon which one of said pitmen ispivotally mounted for movement, a second arm of greater length than thefirst arm and being curved forwardly at its upper end upon which theother pitman is piv otally coiii'iecte'd for movement, the disposi--tion of said pivot pins being such that when one of said rollers engagesany of the lobes of said star wheels, the opposite roller will bedisposed in the grooved edge between two of the lobes immediately inadvance of the first named roller, and being also such that when theserollers exchange position the curved end of the curved arm will curve inthe direction of the grooved edge of two of the lobes to clear thatroller engaging the grooved edge adjacent thereto.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN A. SHIRA.

lVitnesses GLENN RYDER, Fonns'r C. RYDER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington; D. G.

